As title suggests, recently noticed people posting about timeframe a PR application was processed in and saw wild variations between smaller “regional” immigration offices and the main one in Shinagawa Tokyo.
So trying to gather some (anecdotal) data about what averages across Japan might be.
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to reply 🙏
Please reply with:
-PR Route (spousal, HSP, 10yr residence etc)
-Application submission office location
-Lawyer used, yes or no
-Time to approval (or time passed so far if still in progress)
And, optional if you’ve been rejected:
-Reason for rejection (if known and willing to share, general is fine no specifics or info that might dox you wanted)
Edit to add: when application was approved/submitted (if willing to share)
11 comments
Route – Spousal (after three, three year work visas and a three year spousal visa)
Office – Kobe
Lawyer – no
Time to approval – 8 weeks
AFAIK, only Shinagawa processes PR apps. If you turned your PR app it in at a smaller office, it would get sent to Shinagawa for processing. Though you could still get your card from where you turned it in.
Route: HSP points
Office: Tokyo
Lawyer used: Yes
Time passed so far: Little over 5 months
Well I have 4 data points for you, although they are all in Yokohama.
Route – HSP 80 points+/spouse of PR/child of PR/child of PR
Office – All in Yokohama
Lawyer – All no
Time to approval – 4.5 months/5 months/4 months/2 weeks
Route: 10 year
Site: Shinagawa
Lawyer: yes
Time elapsed: 6 months so far, still waiting 🤞(lawyer advised me that if I haven’t been rejected by August then I probably got it, so I’m thinking good thoughts and holding tight)
I guess this might be an unpopular opinion, according to two lawyers that I consulted to start PR (I was also planning to move at that time from Saitama to Tokyo) it doesn’t matter if I stay and apply in Saitama because *all* PR applications regardless where you apply are sent and grinded in Tokyo immigration.
– 10yr
– kawasaki
– no lawyer
– 7 months and counting
Route: HSP
Place: Fukuoka
Lawyer: No
Time: about 5 months
Rejected HSP 80+ points. Reason they didn’t recognize my work experience before graduation. No lawyer used.
Approved HSP 70+ points. 5 months. Shinagawa office. No lawyer used.
Funny thing although I had 70+ points without counting the years they didn’t recognize on my second application they were still sour about it. At that point I asked a Japanese friend to explain properly over the phone the situation. In the end all they asked was a reference from that job explicitly stating I was a full-time employee.
Route: HSP 80+ points
Office: Shinagawa
Scrivener used: Yes
Time passed so far: 4 months
Route: 80 points HSFP (actually had the HSFP visa)
Location: Shinagawa
Lawyer: No
Time taken: 10 months
I submitted in October 2019 and believed I was a pretty much slam dunk case (well over 100 points, “good” nationality, no tax or pension gaps) and I received no follow up calls but was surprised it took so long. I can only assume it was due to the pandemic.